Crafty

I was so excited about my celebrity sighting that I totally forgot to tell you about my epic Friday night! I should probably say that it was EPIC to ME. For a 21 year old college student there is a good chance that this would not be the definition of epic. Perspective kids.

A couple of weeks ago I got a bug in my pants to knock a few things off the 31 While 31 list and get a little artsy fartsy. I did some searching around and found this neato place called The Paint Bar not too far from my house. Based on a wonderful concept called “Paint n’ Sip” this was a place to go for a few hours, paint a fun picture, drink some wine and hang out with the girlies. Purrrrfect.

Our group all managed to arrive a few minutes early which is amazing in itself. We were all so excited to get going on our masterpieces.

The Paint Bar is bright but intimate. It’s a cozy painters nook, but still clean and inviting. It’s a class room, but totally unintimidating.

The girls and I grabbed a few glasses of wine and then picked up our paints. We sat at our table chatting but ready to get to painting. I’ve never seen this group of ladies be so attentive!

The Paint Bar is run by a mom and daughter pair, Jill & Jackie. The daughter was our instructor and I totally loved her. She put all those Type A personalities at ease about mixing those paint colors and we got to work.

Here are a couple of shots as we went through the entire “creative process”.  We are guided through the whole painting but there are lots of chances for us to use our own creativity and branch out. I’m a rule follower though. Just ask anyone I’m close with. I can’t help myself!

Oh yea…Christie is the master multi-tasker. Wine=Check. Painting=Check. She totally schooled us on how Painting n’ Sipping is supposed to go down.

I was all business. The only sips of wine that I enjoyed were during my breaks from painting. Ok ok…I took breaks every minute or so. I’m happy to report that none of us drank our gross paintbrush water instead of the wine.

After a few hours of painting and laughing we were DONE. We all had to be convinced to just put the brushes down and step away from the paintings. You can easily sit there all night just trying to make things look better.

So glad that The Paint Bar is in the area and we’ve been formally introduced. I picked up a frequent painters card and will definitely be back…SOON!

Thanks Jackie & Jill for a great night! They were both so friendly and made it easy for me to convince everyone to make a return visit.

Painting worked our appetites into a frenzy. By the time we were done it was almost 10pm and none of us had a lick of food in the belly. We headed down to The Local, a gastropub type place that utilizes local foods and beers.

Fried pickles for the table…yes, please!

I also stole a few mussels from Tina’s meal.

The wine I guzzled down at The Paint Bar wasn’t enough for me and I had to have another. Twist my arm! I love cucumbers in drinks. Fresh and crisp, but a little boozy!

When my dinner came out my jaw dropped. It was ENOURMOUS! I went with the Chicken Milanese with garlic mashed potatoes and an arugula salad on top.

It was the perfect meal after a night of creativity. Apparently painting takes a lot out of me! Fortunately my dinnah totally restored my energy level. I loved the atmosphere of this restaurant. It was candelit and inviting. There was a decent sized bar and had the vibe of a local pub but on a much classier level. It is completely possible that I will become a local at The Local.

The Paint Bar=A+
The Local=A+
Bonus Points= Another item marked off my 31 While 31 List!
Score for Friday Night= A+++

Hope you guys are having a good day! See ya tomorrow!

Does anyone have fun summer vacations happening this year? Share and make me jealous!

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